Electro plate vibration structure of oxygen/hydrogen mixture gas generator

ABSTRACT

Provided is an electrode plate vibration structure of an oxygen/hydrogen mixture gas generator having an electrolytic bath, and a plurality of electrode plates arranged to be at a predetermined interval in the electrolytic bath and electrolyzing electrolyte using current applied to a terminal to generate oxygen/hydrogen mixture gas. The structure includes: a vibration bar provided at one side and upper end of the electrode plate and having insertion grooves for fitting the electrode plate therein, and minutely vibrating the electrode plate depending on operation of a vibration unit.

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This a continuation of pending International Patent Application PCT/KR2006/002309 filed on Jun. 15, 2006, which designates the United States and claims priorities of Korean Patent Application No. 20-2005-0017107 filed on Jun. 15, 2005.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an oxygen/hydrogen mixture gas generator, and more particularly, to an electrode plate vibration structure of an oxygen/hydrogen mixture gas generator, for vibrating an electrode plate disposed inside an electrolytic bath, thereby increasing a generation amount of oxygen/hydrogen mixture gas.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

As well known in the art, an oxygen/hydrogen mixture gas generator produces oxygen and hydrogen that are products of water electrolysis. The oxygen/hydrogen mixture gas generator supplies water added with a small amount of electrolyte into an electrolytic bath having positive and negative electrodes, and applies direct current voltage, thereby generating oxygen/hydrogen mixture gas. The oxygen/hydrogen mixture gas is generated at a 2:1 ratio of hydrogen to oxygen, a generally optimal ratio. Due to recent serious environmental problem, the oxygen/hydrogen mixture gas generator is newly attracting attention in its importance as a pollution-free energy source.

In order to generate the oxygen/hydrogen mixture gas using the oxygen/hydrogen mixture gas generator, first, current is applied to an electrode plate disposed inside the electrolytic bath. If so, the electrode plate electrolyzes the electrolyte put in the electrolytic bath, thereby generating gas bubbles from a surface of the electrode plate. It is the oxygen/hydrogen mixture gas that the gas bubbles include therein.

In other words, if the gas bubbles including the oxygen/hydrogen mixture gas float over an electrolyte surface and then burst, the oxygen/hydrogen mixture gas is discharged to the exterior and filled into a storage tank, and is used as an energy source.

However, in order to separate and float the gas bubbles from the electrode plate, a unit for minutely vibrating the electrode plate is being required but, in a conventional art, there is not provided an artificial vibration unit. Therefore, the gas bubbles have to float in a natural manner. As a result, this gets a floating time longer and reduces an amount of the floating gas bubbles, thereby causing reduction of a generation amount of the oxygen/hydrogen mixture gas.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the present invention is directed to an electrode plate vibration structure of an oxygen/hydrogen mixture gas generator that substantially overcomes one or more of the limitations and disadvantages of the conventional art.

One object of the present invention is to provide an electrode plate vibration structure of an oxygen/hydrogen mixture gas generator, having a construction for minutely vibrating an electrode plate disposed inside an electrolytic bath, such that gas bubbles are artificially separated and float from the electrode plate, thereby increasing a generation amount of oxygen/hydrogen mixture gas included in the gas bubbles.

Additional advantages, objects, and features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will become apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned from practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims as well as the appended drawings.

To achieve the above and other objects and advantages, and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, there is provided an electrode plate vibration structure of an oxygen/hydrogen mixture gas generator having an electrolytic bath, and a plurality of electrode plates arranged to be at a predetermined interval in the electrolytic bath and electrolyzing electrolyte using current applied to a terminal to generate oxygen/hydrogen mixture gas, the structure including: a vibration bar provided at one side and upper end of the electrode plate and having insertion grooves for fitting the electrode plate therein, and minutely vibrating the electrode plate depending on operation of a vibration unit.

The vibration unit includes: a permanent magnet attached to one end of the vibration bar; and an electromagnet disposed adjacently to the permanent magnet, changing in polarity using the current applied from the exterior, attracting and repulsing the permanent magnet, and enabling the vibration bar.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing summary and the following detailed description of the present invention are merely exemplary and intended for explanatory purposes only.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are included to aid in understanding the invention and are incorporated into and constitute a part of this application, illustrate embodiment(s) of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a three-dimensional view illustrating a construction of an oxygen/hydrogen mixture gas generator according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a three-dimensional view illustrating constructions of a vibration bar and a vibration unit disposed at an electrode plate of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is plane and section views illustrating an oxygen/hydrogen mixture gas generator according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numerals will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.

FIGS. 1 to 3 illustrate a construction of an oxygen/hydrogen mixture gas generator according to the present invention. FIG. 1 is a three-dimensional view illustrating a construction of the oxygen/hydrogen mixture gas generator according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a three-dimensional view illustrating constructions of a vibration bar and a vibration unit disposed at an electrode plate of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is plane and section views illustrating the oxygen/hydrogen mixture gas generator according to the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, the oxygen/hydrogen mixture gas generator 100 includes an electrolytic bath 10; a plurality of electrode plates 18 disposed inside the electrolytic bath 10; a vibration bar 24; and a vibration unit 28 for vibrating the vibration bar 24.

The electrolytic bath 10 is rectangular shaped and opened at its top, and has a space 11 for housing electrolyte and disposing the electrode plate 18 therein. The electrolytic bath 10 has an electrolyte supply duct 12 a at one side for supplying the electrolyte, and has an electrolyte discharge duct 12 b at the other side for discharging the supplied electrolyte. Further, the electrolytic bath 10 has a plurality of electrode-plate fixing grooves 14 on inner front and rear surfaces. The electrode plate 18 is fitted into the electrode-plate fixing grooves 14, and is maintained to be in a fixed state within the electrolytic bath 10. The electrolytic bath 10 has a plurality of terminals 16 each inserted to its front and rear surfaces. The terminals 16 are connected with the electrode plates 18 to enable current application to the electrode plates 18 and electrolyze the electrolyte.

As described above, the electrode plate 18 electrolyzes the electrolyte housed in the electrolytic bath 10, using current applied from the exterior, thus generating oxygen/hydrogen mixture gas. A generation principle of the oxygen/hydrogen mixture gas is as follows. In a process where the electrode plate 18 electrolyzes the electrolyte, gas bubbles are generated from a surface of the electrode plate 18. It is the oxygen/hydrogen mixture gas that the gas bubbles include therein. If the gas bubbles float and burst over an electrolyte surface, the oxygen/hydrogen mixture gas inside the gas bubbles is discharged to the exterior. This principle is basis of the oxygen/hydrogen mixture gas generator. Here, the electrode plate 18 is preferably manufactured to have a bent portion 19, which is obtained by sequentially bending a flat type metal plate in a zigzag shape, thereby providing a greater sectional area contacting with the electrolyte.

The vibration bar 24 is disposed at one side and upper end of the electrode plate 18. A plurality of insertion grooves 26 for fitting the electrode plate 18 are arranged to be at a distance at a lower end of the vibration bar 24. The vibration bar 24 continuously reciprocates left and right owing to driving of the vibration unit 28 described later, and minutely vibrates the electrode plates 18, thereby artificially separating the gas bubbles from a surface of the electrode plate 18.

The vibration unit 28 is a driving unit for vibrating the vibration bar 24. The vibration unit 28 includes a permanent magnet 30 attached to one end of the vibration bar 24; and an electromagnet 32 disposed adjacently to the permanent magnet 30 with the electrolytic bath 10 interposed therebetween, changing in polarity due to the current applied from the exterior, and attracting and repulsing the permanent magnet 30, thereby vibrating the vibration bar 24.

In other words, assuming that the permanent magnet 30 has North Pole in its polarity, when the current is applied to the electromagnet 32, the electromagnet 32 changes in polarity to alternatively have South and North Poles. If the electromagnet 32 has the South Pole, the permanent magnet 30 is pulled by attractive force. If the electromagnet 32 has the North Pole, the permanent magnet 30 is pushed by repulsive force. In other words, if the permanent magnet 30 is pulled or pushed using such a magnetism principle, the vibration bar 24 connected to the permanent magnet 30 also reciprocates left and right depending on operation of the permanent magnet 30. Accordingly, the plurality of electrode plates 18 fitted into the insertion grooves 26 of the vibration bar 24 are minutely vibrated, such that the gas bubbles stuck to the surface of the electrode plate 18 at the time of electrolysis are separated by vibration of the electrode plate 18 with rapidity and float over the electrolyte surface. In other words, the present invention shortens a floating time of the gas bubbles and increases an amount of the floating gas bubbles through the vibration unit 28 and the vibration bar 24, thereby increasing the generation amount of the oxygen/hydrogen mixture gas.

As described above, in addition to the permanent magnet 30 and the electromagnet 32, the vibration unit 28 can vibrate the electrode plate 18 using ultrasonic waves having a frequency of 20 KHz or more per second and in addition, can vibrate the electrode plate 18 using a vibration motor or a solenoid valve.

A non-described reference numeral 20 denotes a cover plate. The cover plate 20 covers the electrolytic bath 10, and seals the space 11 in the electrolytic bath 10. The cover plate 20 has a gas discharge duct 22 at its center to enable the oxygen/hydrogen mixture gas generated from the electrolytic bath 10 to be discharged to the exterior.

An operation of the above-constructed oxygen/hydrogen mixture gas generator will be described below.

First, if a suitable amount of electrolyte is supplied into the electrolytic bath 10 through the electrolyte supply duct 12 a, the electrode plate 18 disposed inside the electrolytic bath 10 gets to be immersed in the electrolyte.

Next, if a power switch (not shown) is turned on, the electrode plate 18 receives the current through the terminal 16 and electrolyzes the electrolyte. At this time, the gas bubbles inclusive of the oxygen/hydrogen mixture gas are generated from the surface of the electrode plate 18. These gas bubbles stuck to the surface of the electrode plate 18 are separated by the vibration of the electrode plate 18, and float over the electrolyte surface.

In other words, if the electrolyte is electrolyzed using the electrode plate 18 and at the same time, a power source is applied to the electromagnet 32 serving as the vibration unit 28, the electromagnet 32 changes in polarity to alternatively have the South and North Poles. Accordingly, the permanent magnet 30 adjacent to the electromagnet 32 is attracted or repulsed due to polarity change of the electromagnet 32, and is pulled or pushed. That is, if the permanent magnet 30 is pulled or pushed, the vibration bar 24 connected to the permanent magnet 30 and installed at one side and upper end of the electrode plate 18 continuously reciprocates left and right. Thus, the operation of the vibration bar 24 enables the minute vibration of the electrode plate 18, such that the gas bubbles are separated from the electrode plate with rapidity and float over the electrolyte surface.

If the gas bubbles float and burst over the electrolyte surface through the above operations, the oxygen/hydrogen mixture gas included in the gas bubbles is discharged to the exterior.

After that, the oxygen/hydrogen mixture gas is discharged through the gas discharge duct 22 provided for the cover plate 20 covering the electrolytic bath 10, and is filled into a separate storage tank (not shown).

As described above, the present invention accomplishes the following effects.

In other words, the present invention provides a construction for minutely vibrating the electrode plate, which is disposed inside the electrolytic bath, using the vibration bar enabled by the driving of the vibration unit, such that the gas bubbles are artificially separated and float from the electrode plate, thereby increasing the generation amount of the oxygen/hydrogen mixture gas included in the gas bubbles.

While the present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents. 

1. An electrode plate vibration structure of an oxygen/hydrogen mixture gas generator having an electrolytic bath, and a plurality of electrode plates arranged to be at a predetermined interval in the electrolytic bath and electrolyzing electrolyte using current applied to a terminal to generate oxygen/hydrogen mixture gas, the structure comprising: a vibration bar provided at one side and upper end of the electrode plate and having insertion grooves for fitting the electrode plate therein, and minutely vibrating the electrode plate depending on operation of a vibration unit.
 2. The structure according to claim 1, wherein the vibration unit comprises: a permanent magnet attached to one end of the vibration bar; and an electromagnet disposed adjacently to the permanent magnet, changing in polarity using the current applied from the exterior, attracting and repulsing the permanent magnet, and enabling the vibration bar.
 3. The structure according to claim 1, wherein the vibration unit uses ultrasonic waves.
 4. The structure according to claim 1, wherein the electrode plate has a bent portion obtained by continuously bending a flat type metal plate in a zigzag shape to increase a section area contacting with the electrolyte.
 5. The structure according to claim 4, wherein the electrolytic bath has a plurality of electrode-plate fixing grooves arranged at its inner and front and rear surfaces to be at a uniform interval and fixing the electrode plates.
 6. The structure according to claim 4, wherein the electrolytic bath is covered with a cover plate having a gas discharge duct for discharging oxygen/hydrogen mixture gas to the exterior. 